Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista/Orlando

With its location between the Disney World Resort and the Orlando Convention Center, the Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista/Orlando is well suited for families as well as business travelers. It caters to both sets of guests with a corporate and kid-friendly atmosphere. Though some of the interiors are a bit bland and typical of chain hotels, they are pleasantly decorated with contemporary furnishings and bright splashes of color. The spacious open-plan lobby is filled with comfortable seating and corners to relax in, like the cozy fireplace lounge, where there’s coffee, tea, and baked goods. Green potted plants are a nice, fresh touch scattered throughout the space, which is full of natural light courtesy of large windows and a skylight at the center. Outside of the seven-story building, Florida palms shade the walkway that leads to the lagoon pool, which is surrounded by Turkish travertine stone and has a fun mushroom fountain in the kiddy section as well as a hot tub with a waterfall. 

The hotel is located on a nicely landscaped side street off of Palm Parkway -- near the I-4 -- an area that requires a car, although there is a free hotel shuttle that goes to Epcot. The central location is a short drive away from most of Orlando's top attractions, including the Walt Disney World Resort (10-minute drive), SeaWorld Orlando and the Discovery Cove (five-minute drive), Orlando/Orange County Convention Center (10-minute drive), and the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets (five-minute drive). The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as well as Cocoa Beach are a bit farther away and can be reached in about an hour. The Orlando International Airport is a 20-minute drive.

Striped carpeting and draperies, patterned cushioned chairs, and traditional wooden furniture give guest rooms a homey feeling. The layout is typical of a modern chain hotel, with added home comforts like microwaves, mini-fridges, and Keurig coffeemakers. All rooms also have writing desks with ergonomic chairs, flat-screen TVs, MP3 clock radios, safes, and free Wi-Fi. Bathrooms have granite counters and walk-in showers or shower/tub combos. Suites have separate living rooms with sofa beds and additional flat-screen TVs. Epcot fireworks can be seen from some windows, which overlook the parking lot and surrounding greenery. 

The hotel’s facilities and services are equally geared toward business travelers and families. The Great American Grill serves dinner and cooked-to-order breakfast (not included in room rates) in a modern dining room and offers children's menus as well as room service. The 24-hour mini market sells a variety of snacks, meals, and beverages including beer and wine. The hotel also has a 24-hour fitness center equipped with modern cardio machines, weights, and a flat-screen TV, and there's an outdoor basketball court as well. The outdoor pool features a kids' pool and hot tub, with lots of lounge chairs and shaded seating surrounding, thought travelers should note that this facility is shared with a neighboring property and can get crowded. The poolside bar has a walk-up window and patio seating. The hotel's business facilities include seven meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 326 people, as well as a business center with computers and printers. A free shuttle provides round-trip service to Epcot, where transfers are available to Walt Disney World, Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.